Migration news roundup 16 October 2023

• Stories that inspired us this week
• International news
• UK borders and migration policy
• Specific migrant groups
• Cohesion and integration

Stories that inspired us this week

Students in York renovated a Ukrainian family’s garden as part of their university research project. (York Press)

Sunny Oyem, who is seeking asylum in Northern Ireland, has found volunteering at a community-owned farm has brought him hope. (Source: BBC) 

You can read this interview with Nhial Deng, a South Sudanese refugee who has been recognised by the UN for his work supporting refugees in Kenya through education and ambassadorship programs. (Source: the Guardian)

International news

Germany unveiled a new migration bill to extend detention times and swiftly remove migrants, particularly those with a criminal background. (Sources: TVP World)

Outside Europe:

• the World Food Programme resumed food assistance to refugees in Ethiopia after being on hold since June. (Source: UN News)
• for World Mental Health Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report on improving mental health for refugees and migrants. (Source: WHO)

UK borders and migration policy

When considering the lawfulness of the Rwanda scheme, the Supreme Court has heard evidence from UNHCR raising questions about the country’s treatment of people seeking asylum. The hearing is over but the ruling will be announced at a later date, expected to be in two months. Separately, human rights concerns were once again raised about Rwanda by Human Rights Watch, a US-based non-governmental organisation. (Sources: BBC, The Times, the Guardian)

Published by a charity, this new report calls for safe routes for people to travel to the UK to seek asylum. (Source: Safe Passage)

Two new briefings cover UK deportation law in relation to foreign national offenders, and an overview of family migration to the UK. (Sources: Free Movement, Migration Observatory)

Specific migrant groups

Glasgow council says Home Office plans to grant status to up to 1,400 people in Glasgow by the end of 2023 could cost the council over £53 million as it seeks to manage a homelessness crisis. Also on asylum support, the Bibby Stockholm is set to restart accommodating asylum seekers imminently. (Sources: STV News, the Guardian)

Hundreds of Afghans who worked with British forces in Afghanistan remain stuck in limbo in Pakistan, waiting to be relocated to the UK. Pakistan has announced it will remove those without legal status. (Source: BBC)

EU nationals and their family members can no longer apply for an administrative review of their EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) claim if it was refused from 5 October. The current waiting time to have a negative decision re-looked at is now at least 18 months. Meanwhile, the Independent Monitoring Authority (IMA) published guidance on the extension of pre-settled status and wider changes to the EUSS process. (Sources: Home Office, IMA)

There's been an unexpectedly sharp fall in Nigerian and Indian students’ enrolments at British universities, potentially due to currency devaluation in Nigeria and global competition. (Source: The Pie News)

In modern slavery news:

• Eleanor Lyons, currently Deputy Children’s Commissioner, has been appointed as the new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, a position vacant since April 2022. Some have questioned her suitability for the role. (Sources: Home Office, the Guardian)
• This guide aims to help local authority adult social care commissioners identify and manage modern slavery risks. (Source: University of Nottingham Rights Lab)
• New guidance encourages governments to take a common approach to data collection on trafficking, arguing improved evidence is needed to inform policy interventions. (Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)

Here’s a great story on how Hongkongers are integrating through football. (Source: Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers)

Cohesion and integration

Hate crime statistics show a 5% decrease between years ending March 2022 and 2023. This is the first decrease for a decade, though racially motivated hate crime still represents 70% of the total incidents. (Source: Home Office)

While the conflict between Hamas and Israel escalates, this article discusses the impact already being felt by different communities in Manchester. (Source: BNN Breaking)

In this opinion piece, author Yasmin Alibhai-Brown criticises Suella Braverman’s recent speech on multiculturalism and looks at the term’s development and use. (Source: inews)

Joseff Gnagbo came to the UK five years ago and was settled in Wales. Joseff is proud to have become Chair of a Welsh language campaign group - the first person not born in Wales to do so. (Source: BBC)